Ye Wen’s palm strike carried astonishing power. As Xiang Yutian channeled his full internal energy, his entire body radiated a crimson glow, resembling the rising sun, almost too bright to look at directly.

Gathering all his might into both palms, they appeared to drag a miniature crimson sun. He unleashed the strike, intending to meet Ye Wen’s palm head-on.

The two forces collided before their palms even touched. A massive boom erupted, followed by a rush of scorching gang wind that scattered outwards.

The disciples of the Shu Shan Sect were involuntarily pushed back several steps by this fierce blast; those with weaker cultivation were nearly blown back to the small path they had just traversed. “What formidable palm force…” The leader of the Yu Dong Sect, a man around forty years old, appeared only in his early thirties thanks to his sect’s excellent longevity arts.

While not the strongest in his sect, his experience in handling matters led Yu Qingzi to appoint him to lead his junior brothers. He had heard of Ye Wen before but hadn't taken him seriously.

Because the Yu Dong Sect once had the Nine Sword Immortal as their stalwart, the disciples carried a degree of arrogance, believing that even if a young man in his early twenties, not yet thirty, was powerful, how powerful could he truly be? Furthermore, since both the Nine Sword Immortal and their master/uncle Yu Qingzi highly praised this person, a natural curiosity and competitive spirit arose in their hearts.

After venturing out to sea, they witnessed Ye Wen’s techniques, which slightly altered their perception. However, they hadn't experienced him firsthand at that time.

Although they dismissed their initial underestimation, they still couldn't believe that Sect Leader Ye could be as strong as the Nine Sword Immortal. Yet, this violent gang wind was a direct experience—and it was merely the residual force emanating from the clash between him and that Demon Cult Protector.

“If the residual force is this overwhelming, just how terrifying must the true palm power be?” As the gang wind dispersed, everyone could see the scene in the arena again. Xiang Yutian and Ye Wen had both retreated quite far.

They stood motionless for a long moment, each staring at the other, before either could speak. “Sect Leader Ye, that palm strike was far mightier than before!” Xiang Yutian had witnessed this move before when he fought Ye Wen previously.

At that time, although Ye Wen’s Dragon Subduing Palms possessed considerable force, Xiang Yutian hadn't deemed it a threat. He didn't know that Ye Wen’s Dragon Subduing Palms back then relied solely on his internal energy, unable to fully utilize the profound subtleties of the technique.

If the Dragon Subduing Palms held ten parts of power, the Ye Wen of that time could unleash at most five or six. This time was vastly different.

As Ye Wen fought with all his might, he finally displayed some of the original power of the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms, startling Xiang Yutian. This strike had left his hands slightly numb, and his vital energy churning slightly—and this was only the result of having resisted the main force of the blow and allowing only a tiny fraction of the residual energy to affect him.

“I wonder what this set of palm techniques is called?” In truth, Ye Wen was not entirely comfortable either. Xiang Yutian’s radiant and active energy, like the morning sun, was difficult to neutralize.

It was only thanks to the increasingly marvelous nature of his Innate Purple Qi that, after several turns of refinement, the scorching energy that had invaded his body was completely dissolved before he replied: “This is my sect’s Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms!” Upon hearing this, others didn't feel much, but Guo Jing, who inherited the tradition of this technique, felt a strange pang in his heart: “This set of palms clearly only has twelve strikes. Why did Master say it’s called the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms?” After thinking it over repeatedly, he concluded: “Master must think my twelve strikes aren't perfected yet, so he is holding back the six strikes from me!” Little did he know that Ye Wen had no idea where to find those six missing strikes, as his ring steadfastly refused to give them to him, leaving Ye Wen deeply frustrated.

However, publicly, he wouldn't call it the Twelve Dragon Subduing Palms. He figured he could slowly grind out the rest eventually; for now, announcing the full name of eighteen was the priority.

“It’s just a pity that this set of palms doesn't suit my temperament. In the past, Ye Mou couldn't bring out the subtleties of this move.

Today, I owe it to Protector Xiang’s presence to be able to display even a fraction of its power!” “So you mean, Sect Leader Ye cannot unleash the full might of this palm technique?” “Indeed!” Hearing this, Ye Wen also felt a touch of regret. The great reputation of the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms had long been something he yearned for, yet he couldn't master it.

It would be impossible not to feel depressed about it. Even in that previous strike, if someone possessed Ye Wen’s level of power, the might of the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms would be overwhelmingly ferocious; that set of palms alone would have been enough to subdue Xiang Yutian.

This was something Ye Wen simply could not achieve. Xiang Yutian hadn't expected the Shu Shan Sect to possess so many miraculous arts, many of which the Sect Leader himself had not mastered: “The last time I witnessed your sect’s Ten Thousand Sword Art, Sect Leader Ye mentioned that sword art was incomplete.

Now I see this powerful palm technique, yet you still can't use its full power! What a pity!” “Protector Xiang finds it a pity?” “Pity, such a pity!” Xiang Yutian had hoped that with Ye Wen’s progress in power, he would finally witness the complete form of the Ten Thousand Sword Art that had defeated him.

Instead, he encountered another exquisite palm technique. Since today was meant to decide life or death between them, regardless of who won or lost, it was likely he would never see such profound skills again: “However, I assume Sect Leader Ye’s Ten Thousand Sword Art must be perfected by now?

Xiang seeks the honor of witnessing it!” As he spoke, Ye Wen merely raised his hand, and a purple longsword materialized, hovering in the air, its blade trembling incessantly, emitting a crisp dragon’s roar: “That Ten Thousand Sword Art is not so easily mastered, Protector Xiang. You should first experience my Sword Control Art!” Before the words faded, the purple longsword abruptly transformed into a streak of flowing light, instantly arriving before Xiang Yutian.

The sharp sword qi erupting from it was palpable even to those standing far away; Xiang Yutian, facing it directly, felt the pressure acutely. “Sect Leader Ye’s purple sword has grown even more formidable!” Ye Wen remained motionless, standing far off with his left hand behind his back.

He casually flicked his right hand. Xiang Yutian expected Ye Wen to use some complex move, but Ye Wen merely struck a pose and said: “To deal with your Demon Cult, Ye Mou has put in considerable effort!” The sword moved according to his will, so his physical movements were irrelevant.

As soon as the words fell, the purple light flashed and vanished in an instant. Before Xiang Yutian could react, he felt something like a sharp blade graze the back of his neck.

In his haste, he didn't have time to check, instead quickly dropping his head and sinking his body, narrowly dodging the strike. But that wasn't the end of it.

The longsword, swirling with purple light, executed a sharp turn in the air and thrust back towards the crouched Xiang Yutian. The thrust, turn, and stab were completed in the blink of an eye.

If a human were wielding the sword, such flexible and swift execution of the move would be impossible. However, a sword suspended in the air possessed boundless agility.

Furthermore, the flying sword required no physical defense, and the wielder stood far away, able to continuously launch lethal attacks. As the purple sword flashed back and forth, Xiang Yutian was reduced to dodging like a rolling gourd, scrambling about without a single counter-move in his haste.

During this, he considered channeling his fist energy to shatter this sword condensed from true qi head-on. Yet, upon striking it, it rang out with a clear chime, as if hitting a genuine longsword.

Simultaneously, the sword’s dragon roar intensified, nearly causing his fist energy to scatter. “What the hell is this thing?” He had dealt with this purple sword before; it had never been this troublesome.

He was unaware that Ye Wen’s power had greatly advanced. After reaching the peak of Innate perfection, his control over true qi was far more refined.

The solidity and flexibility of the purple sword were incomparable to before. Moreover, as long as Ye Wen hadn't exhausted his power, even if the purple sword was shattered, the dispersed qi could be instantly reformed with a mere thought before it completely dissipated.

And Ye Wen’s true qi was rarely exhausted, rendering the purple sword seemingly immortal. Once engaged, it became nearly impossible to escape.

Had it not been for Xiang Yutian’s own extreme martial strength and the body-tempering effects of his cultivation arts, this single purple sword would have been enough to leave him bleeding on the spot. Seeing that one purple sword wasn't enough to subdue him, Ye Wen immediately channeled his power, and with a wave of his hand, a second purple sword manifested.

Without further ado, he unleashed boundless sword qi, drawing a purple semi-circle in the air before striking Xiang Yutian’s back, attacking in tandem with the first sword from front and rear. At this juncture, no matter how confident Xiang Yutian was, cold sweat beaded on his forehead.

He hadn't expected that although Ye Wen’s power had only increased slightly—roughly matching his own peak—the fight had become so difficult. This technique of condensing a sword from qi was truly hard to counter.

One sword had already left him in dire straits; how could he possibly parry two? Previously, relying on his vast reserves of energy, he could withstand Ye Wen’s many attacks with his protective qi, allowing him to fight calmly and eventually forcing Ye Wen to use the incomplete ultimate move.

Now that their powers were comparable, the effect of the protective true qi was significantly diminished. Ye Wen had too many ways to deal with him.

Seeing Xiang Yutian struggling awkwardly between the two purple swords, Ye Wen pressed his advantage, channeling his full power to condense two more purple swords. As onlookers watched the purple smoke swirling around Ye Wen, rising and steaming, the Yu Dong Sect disciples instinctively wiped the sweat beading on their brows.

Especially when they saw Ye Wen conjure purple longswords one after another as if performing a trick, the sweat flowed even faster for these few. “Master Ghost… just how many longswords can this Sect Leader command?” Even their sect's pride, the Nine Sword Immortal, only commanded nine longswords to achieve his mythical status in the martial world.

But now, it seemed this Sect Leader Ye could also command many; he already had four out, and they hadn't seen his limit yet... Combined with the Demon Cult expert’s earlier mention of a skill called the Ten Thousand Sword Art, could this Sect Leader Ye truly command ten thousand flying swords?

The thought of such a scene made their legs weak. Ten thousand longswords—what did that even mean?

Even ten thousand stones could bury a master alive, let alone longswords used as weapons. “Is it possible this Sect Leader Ye can truly command ten thousand swords?

Is he still human? Has he already attained immortality?” The Yu Dong Sect members harbored such thoughts, while the Shu Shan disciples knew what the Ten Thousand Sword Art entailed, having witnessed the great battle between Ye Wen and Xiang Yutian in the main hall of Shu Shan.

Li Xiaoyao had also seen it then but was too far away to observe clearly. This time, as Ye Wen successively summoned several purple swords, he managed to grasp some insight.

He observed intently, even making small movements with his hands. Xu Ping, standing nearby, accidentally bumped him and asked if something was wrong.

However, when he turned back, a tiny sword was faintly visible manifesting in his junior brother's palm, spinning there. Although the sword was minuscule—only finger-sized—its appearance was indistinguishable from a real longsword, complete with a distinct blade, hilt, and guard.

Just seeing his junior brother’s posture, Xu Ping knew that Sixth Brother had grasped the essence of Sword Control Art after watching their Master's fight. But after Li Xiaoyao fiddled with it for a moment, the small sword in his palm vanished suddenly, and he staggered.

Xu Ping quickly reached out to steady him and said: “Master’s divine art has extremely high requirements for internal energy. Sixth Brother, your current power is insufficient.

Forcibly practicing it now will only cause harm. Until your cultivation reaches a corresponding level, please refrain from using this divine art for the time being!” Li Xiaoyao shook his head, regaining some composure, and nodded: “Thank you for the reminder, Senior Brother.

I understand!” This small incident went unnoticed, as everyone’s attention remained fixed on the battle unfolding. Ye Wen, too, was no longer as composed as before.

The purple aura surrounding him thickened, and he began to make visible movements while controlling the flying swords—maintaining four at once was no simple task. Ye Wen flipped his palm, and the four flying swords suddenly exploded outwards, darting in four directions before lining up around Xiang Yutian and stabbing simultaneously.

Not only were they incredibly sharp, but they also unleashed ferocious sword qi, leaving Xiang Yutian no room to dodge; he could only rely on repeatedly channeling his true qi to withstand them. However, after so long, much of his true qi was depleted, and his protective qi had been substantially dispersed by Ye Wen.

He now bore numerous bleeding wounds, appearing entirely like a man drenched in blood. When the four purple swords flew toward him again, Xiang Yutian had no choice but to channel his power once more.

He flipped both palms, summoning two masses of energy resembling red suns. This time, however, he didn't use the energy to clash directly with the swords as before.

Instead, gritting his teeth, he charged towards Ye Wen: “Ye Wen, die!” It was precisely because Ye Wen’s control over the four flying swords had momentarily relaxed that Xiang Yutian seized this rare chance to break free and rush towards Ye Wen with all his might. The flying swords were condensed from Ye Wen’s power; even if they were shattered, it had little effect on him.

He had to kill this man to change his unfavorable situation. Had he not been so tightly entangled earlier, he would have done this long ago.

Unexpectedly, Ye Wen smiled faintly. With a flip of his hand, a fifth purple sword materialized.

This time, he didn't release it but held it in his hand, as if gripping a real longsword. When Xiang Yutian saw Ye Wen’s expression, he knew something was wrong, but at this point, the arrow was already loosed from the bowstring—he had no choice but to rush forward, even suspecting a trap.

Suddenly, Ye Wen’s body flickered, and he vanished. As Xiang Yutian was startled, Ye Wen suddenly appeared directly in front of him.

They were so close that Xiang Yutian jumped in fright, causing the energy in his hands to dissipate slightly from the shock. While he was startled, Ye Wen certainly wouldn't waste the opportunity.

He shook the longsword in his hand, unleashing surging sword qi, and cleaved down towards Xiang Yutian’s head. Although startled, Xiang Yutian reacted instantly.

Seeing Ye Wen’s downward strike, he flashed sideways to evade. Unexpectedly, Ye Wen’s strike shifted mid-air, transforming from a chop into a slice, aiming directly for Xiang Yutian’s waist and abdomen.

Before the purple sword even reached him, the sword qi erupting from it caused a dull ache in Xiang Yutian’s midsection. At this point, Xiang Yutian didn't think at all; he simply leaped into the air, attempting to dodge the strike.

All of this was instinctual for a martial artist, not a result of conscious thought. This was because during initial training, responses to such maneuvers were ingrained as reflexes.

Even at the peak of his power, suddenly encountering such a situation triggered the same reaction. As Xiang Yotea sprang into the air, he realized his mistake: jumping up had exposed his vital rear to Ye Wen’s blade!

In the air, he twisted his body violently, simultaneously launching both fists out, fearing Ye Wen would attack his back. Indeed, as he turned, he saw Ye Wen, holding the purple sword, thrusting toward where his back should have been.

Xiang Yutian let out a triumphant sneer: “Ye Wen, you think such a trick can cost me my life?” To his surprise, Ye Wen merely smiled faintly and said calmly: “Correct. This move will cost you your life!” As the words fell, the longsword in his hand suddenly exploded, not only transforming into countless strands of sword qi that enveloped Xiang Yutian’s entire body but also releasing a blinding flash of purple light that made Xiang Yutian’s vision swim; he could see nothing but a dazzling purple haze.

In a panic, he channeled more energy, causing the two orbs of red-sun energy in his hands to burst outwards as well, aiming to neutralize as much incoming sword qi as possible. Then, Xiang Yutian circulated his entire power, intending to meet the incoming barrage of sword qi head-on.

He had noticed that although the dense shower of qi made his scalp tingle, its power was weak—even less potent than the initial seven streaks of sword qi Ye Wen had released. While wondering what purpose Ye Wen could have for such a move, he suddenly heard four sharp tearing sounds approaching from all directions: “It’s those four flying swords!” However, having focused all his strength on defending against the swarm of sword qi in front of him, he was utterly defenseless against the four flying swords that suddenly attacked from the sides.

He could only watch as the four swords pierced into his body. “This was… your killing move?” Xiang Yutian stood there, utterly wretched.

His clothes were shredded, and his entire body was riddled with minor wounds from the sword qi, making him a crimson figure. That wasn't all; several purple longswords had pierced through him: one entered his back and exited his chest; one entered his lower abdomen and exited his spine; one entered his side and exited his shoulder.

The final sword, however, failed to penetrate Xiang Yutian’s body; this one, aimed at his temple, was caught by Xiang Yutian’s hand and held fast, resisting all attempts to drive it further. Seeing this sight, Ye Wen couldn't help but admire the man for managing to grab one sword under such circumstances.

Fortunately, the other three had struck vital points. “You… do you have any last words?” Xiang Yutian took a deep breath, only to cough up a mouthful of blood: “Not seeing Sect Leader Ye’s Ten Thousand Sword Art… what a pity…”